Author Archive for Al Cimaglia
It’s Never Easy but Hawks Top Blues in a Shootout
The Blackhawks squandered a two goal third period lead but still managed to edge the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in a shootout. It’s seldom easy for the Hawks but as was the case versus New Jersey, the opponent’s goalkeeping was a significant factor. Fortunately on Thursday night at the United Center, a truly fine performance [...]
Blackhawks Show Will to Win, Capture 1 Point in New Jersey
The Blackhawks picked up only one point in the standings in New Jersey but the importance of fighting back after a sluggish start can’t be discounted. The Devils came out flying and after their initial opening period surge, which Corey Crawford stifled, the Hawks were the better club. In the end, the 2-1 shootout loss [...]
Blackhawks Have No Answers For Nashville
The Chicago Blackhawks five game winning streak came to a resounding halt with a 6-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Sunday night. This one goes into the ugly loss column as the Hawks came up with an empty effort against a strong team. With the win, Nashville is now four points ahead of Chicago and [...]
Keith Gets 5 Games as the NHL Struggles With Consistency
Make no mistake, my love of hockey can’t be questioned. The game is like no other as it combines speed, athleticism and physicality. On the downside, the sport is full of contradictions as the NHL rule book and those who enforce it need further scrutiny. Unlike some in the hockey media, it is against my [...]
When is Being Physical Excessive? Hawks Top Canuck In a Fierce Clash
In a game that had something for everyone, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in overtime. There is no better rivalry in the NHL than a Chicago-Vancouver contest, and Wednesday night was a great example. For those who get squeamish when the rough stuff is a big part of a hockey game, they [...]
Hawks Roll But Now Schedule Turns Tough + SiriusXM Interview
Whether the Blue Jackets are a hapless group or simply one lacking talent, they are certainly a bad hockey team. On Tuesday night the Blackhawks defeated Columbus for the six consecutive time this season. Once again the Hawks rolled on to victory as this contest was never in doubt. The 5-1 score was an accurate [...]
Hawks Playing Effective Hockey, Dispatch Caps
In front of 21,561 delighted fans, the Blackhawks disposed of the Washington Capitals 5-2 Sunday night. The Hawks have gone 7-1-1 over their last nine games and are looking like a playoff force. They were in control on Sunday from the opening puck drop, and for much of the game, the Capitals appeared overmatched. Maybe [...]
Blackhawks Surge to Victory, Defeat Dallas 4-1
Going into Friday’s game at Dallas, the Blackhawks were focused on getting off to a good start. Stars net minder Kari Lehtonen had an off night which helped lead to the Hawks scoring two goals in the opening 1:42. The Hawks came out aggressive and took control and were able to skate away with a [...]
Blackhawks Stay Determined to Defeat the Blues
Last Tuesday, the Blackhawks went into St. Louis, were completely dominated and dropped a 5-1 decision. The Blues not only defeated the Hawks, they pounded them into submission. This Tuesday night, in front of 21,349 very satisfied fans, the Blackhawks got some revenge as they pulled out a 4-3 shootout victory the hard way. The [...]
Hawks Salvage a Point…The Decline of Keith and Carcillo Resigned
In what could be best described as a strange game, the Blackhawks clawed their way back to pick up one point Sunday night. The Los Angeles Kings swarmed the Hawks early and came away with a 3-2 shootout victory. If not for Ray Emery, the Hawks could have been trailing by a few goals instead [...]
Blackhawks Outlast The Rangers For A Big Win
In a game which went from being boring to very exciting the Blackhawks defeated the NY Rangers 4-3. Don’t let the final score deceive you this was a low scoring contest until late in the game. The Hawks stayed determined and as Joel Quenneville would say “patient” as they hung with the Rangers and finally [...]
Hope for Toews, Worry About Crawford
Blackhawks fans looking for a bit of good news found some on Thursday as Jonathan Toews was able to take to the ice. Toews is not ready to participate in team workouts and can’t be involved in any contact for awhile. The Hawks Captain has been out with a suspected concussion and hasn’t played in [...]
Badly Outworked Blackhawks Lose 5-1 to St. Louis
On Tuesday night the Blackhawks suffered a well-deserved loss, dropping a 5-1 decision in St. Louis to the Blues. From the opening puck drop, the Blues were a step faster and a lot more determined than the Blackhawks. The Hawks didn’t win many individual battles and their best players were unable to make a difference. [...]
Desperate Blackhawks Continue On a Roll
No matter what sport, either professional or amateur, a defining factor for measuring performance is consistency. By recording a 2-1 victory in Detroit on Sunday afternoon the Blackhawks have now won three consecutive games. Their most recent decisions have come in tight, low scoring contests similar to those played in the post season. The Blackhawks [...]
With a Top Effort Blackhawks Win in Ottawa
If head coach Joel Quenneville could bottle the performance of his club from Friday night he would. The Blackhawks went into Ottawa with significant injuries, and came away with a well deserved 2-1 victory. The Hawks were determined to succeed and did so in their second consecutive one goal game. This win was more noteworthy [...]
Bowman on the Clock as Blackhawks Struggle in Anaheim
The Blackhawks played one solid period in Anaheim which was more than they accomplished the day before but it still wasn’t good enough. The Hawks were defeated 3-1 but at least they scored a power play goal to break a 0-39 dry spell. Yes, it is a bad time. To cite scoring one power play [...]
Lifeless Hawks Lose Again
The Blackhawks followed a poor finish versus Dallas with a total dud from beginning to end in Los Angeles, losing 4-0 on Saturday. The Hawks showed no desire and had a lay down, lifeless effort when they needed to rebound. Unfortunately there isn’t anything to indicate this is rock bottom and things will get better [...]
Hawks Get Outworked….Still Holes To Fill
The Blackhawks let one slip through their fingers and dropped a 3-1 decision to the Dallas Stars. For the first time this season, the Hawks lost a game in regulation they were leading going into the third period. This was a forgettable game for anyone who isn’t a Dallas fan and Blackhawk faithful left the [...]
Concussion an Issue for the NHL, And Now for Jonathan Toews?
The injury woes for the Blackhawks have taken a turn for the worse since the calendar rolled over to 2012. Gone are the days of almost no injuries for the Hawks and if the latest report is correct it could be a serious blow. On Wednesday, Joel Quenneville commented on the injury status of Jonathan [...]
Another Effective Effort = A Win Over Detroit
The Blackhawks won their fourth straight game with a 2-1 victory over the Red Wings. Detroit was riding a six game winning streak and both teams were playing without star players. Jonathan Toews was out of action due to an upper body injury and the Wings were playing without their best player, Pavel Datsyuk. Despite [...]
